The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-11-01
THE:..D||ET ECT|vE
DAN CUNNINGHAM, WRITES TO
THE INrELLIGENOER
And Gives His Version Of the
Roano County Affair.
He Claims to be Entirely limo.
~ cent Of the Charge
That he Planned the Murder Of
Rev. Mr. Ryan.
mtimates That There Are Dark
and Bloody Secrets "a. &.
Yet to Do Untolded..-D ..-Dodging the
Mob and
ntimates That There Are Dark
and Bloody Secrets ,.... s.
Yet to Do Untolded-.-D -Dodging the
Mob and
In Daily Communication With the
Authorities. f..5 I


ISTRLLlaEScEE, In these rcpot.n the
name Of Dan Cunningham, q former Dap.
uty United S!a.ss Msrahal and member
Of the Eureka detective sgelcy, figured
conspicaously. II wGs a:stod on the au
thority Of on alleged confession of ouc o.
the men lyrcaed, thst be WAS theains.i.
gator Of the terrible crime. Cunningham
hna always borne good reputation among
people who knew him, and Hon. G. "
Atkinson hes stated to an IsTHLLlaEScRr
reporter, in an Interview published some
days ago, that he had. great confidence in
tho intsgtity OF his old deputy. ..
Aa much as can be learned Of The essts
Of affairs in tho community in which tho
dissracslul Incidents hsvo taken plass Is
not ct all 10 the credit OF tho Sis!e. TIE
ISTELnaESccH is in receipt OF the follow.
ing letter from Dan Cunningham, in which
he croicsaca 10 give corras. 7areioa 0:
the killing Of Coon, and the DuHCs, and
alleges his own innocence Of any connec,
ton with the murder OF Mr. Ryan. Cnn.
ninshsm is at present Keeping out OF ths
clutchea Of the yigilan:s, and writes
tho letter publisLcG ss y:ndics.
ton Of himself. Hs 4in!iraatos that
o vendetta exists Ia !hs community
OF Kentucs, in Jackson county. I; ip
hoped for the sake OF the good nHms oi
the State, that this is Il niatsse. The H. "
oficsys Of the county will no tloub. mss g
thorough investigation, and bring ab,u +,
complete vindiaa.iuG o! the law. The
people Ct the State at Large will be sloy
to believe thss thsre exists in WeEt Yi..
giriA y s:ate of thtnca such as have dis.
graced the name Of Rowan county, Ken.
t1cky: iE
DAY cuSSlSGuAM's LETTER.
| To the Editor OF The I.:>.'icencer. 5.'
SIa-Ai!er seeing some hcrsih.o reports
concerning mo in your valuable pspGs,
would like to bc heard as GenounclcS
them as sbsoluto ialsehoods. The ntste.
ment I wish to make Is co follows:
On Thursday night, October IS, old
Father kyeD, of Eoaae comfy, Was nur.
dered by soms villains. he Wa9 c grand,
good and harmless nan-a true and de-,
voted Christian and innocent as a.child
man hsvs dearly loved from my boy.
hood and the nos. cordial feaiines al ways
e1ieted between tho la,nily and me. Tho
day after the muydes ws,Ieata were issued
for Perry Drase, OF Eoaac coEu.y, Qhss
Coon and g. Il. Daft, Of Jackson loanty.
Drake ives arrested at his heme. Coon
and &. Fl DIG were found e. Duff 3 house
in kentuck, Constable Gibson executing
the writ. ibaon-summoned q posgs Of
about 1tYenty,tgo mon who wero Duff a
most bitter ensniaa. Is noon rs Coon ask
ed what |! sll meant, tho on5Gsr was: I'd
you, you will soon kDog." a volay wcs
ired OF him and sal:ls tnsGsd. Young
Duff etarset to MAKE hiI esceDo aah aim.
ed to pass out the EacL door. IA ha did
go one OF the men nhot hi II in the ab!o.
men mor;slly wouadipg him. DlE se:zed
his revolver aad he aud Coon vent to
work In essEast, completely beating back
their asea:lsE,s. v. s Dad caSe up
ani irsisted that Goca should EUR
render. He did SO uaGer Tho DTqa,-
iae that he ahouid gst q fair txial.
The posse went past Il w. Dul e. He
Sea at homo and Gibson inssrtsd
his nluho In the WARRANT and sygeattd him
also. Thi5 was an Friday. Tho next dsy
the prisoners were tsasu 20 Rosus county
for preliminary trial. In 1887 my BROTH
er, o Dspuiy United sla.ss l:s.sbsl, bSi
been assaeslnatod by s sang OF yi!ls!pJ
who lived in Kentuck and ptli; live there,
aud shortly atios bis death this ssms ga s,
commenced on me, sad tied iu every way
possible TO ecsudal:zs Gnd tsay no down,
and tho Duff boyn also. They thought by
30 doing 1t would step them from bsipS
proaeCuted Tor tho murder they had com.
mittcd. About two mon:ha prior to the
awful tragedy that lately occurred they or.
ganized into > coneoiiasted band (aa they
called it) and draw s0reiai GcneasN NcitiSsns
into it.. This ring Is campossa OF psfsTsl
families, aud havs ra!ed this county BY
JORGE for third of GENTRY. For reIsr.
anaes IS to who they ara go to James T.
! Mckeistp. el pusnsm county, and, be.
lieye, Hou. Judge Jackson, 81 Parkera-
burg, and the honcht c;tiseps OF Jncksou
county. The m5b folio sed tho pS;asuesu
to Rosne county. Squire Candy insis!ed
that they be held over uutil Monday for
trial and taSan:c Walton Tor aafs kespipc.
Coon was taken 70 ;o:oph Cooks, to bo
kept over n.shs. Daft Wss Left at Cvx's.
Shortly after dark the IN Oh from Kentuck
met at tho Tin Camp school house,
which etocd between Cooks and Cox's.
AT thst .lssee.jng they decided to kill
Coon aud DUFF thss night and lot Drake
escape. fer tho Iuss.iug tho mon
blacked themec!vee, aad wsnt to CooS;s
house and called for the, body Of Coon,
Coon declared his inncceucs. Flo Was
taken about half way down to Mr.. Cooks
and hung on IN iron beach, dying by
atranSula.ion. The mob then won't to
Cokes' and told Duff that Coon had made
a confession, Ena that they had the right
parties arrested, apd that / was not In tho
murder but Sas tlo lcalerand had plhnnod
all the crimes thst hsd been committed
Duff claimed his innocents tS tha less mo.
ment, and ca thoy tore his wits from, his
arms ,ho remarked that he was iu tbs
hands Of thoee mon who had killed Ns.
than Cunningham and they would kill
him. The mob took DuG to near the apo,
where Coon wGs hanging. Eight weyo tc
perform the execution, according 10 theil
arrangements few hours previous 81
their meeting. Six Of the man threw DuE
Govn holding his hnhds and fee. and ont
holding big hes9, while two others cut bill
throat from co: . eas. They though
they had show 10 fairly slpt ',hsir yen
geance and started their whole force stie,
me-. In the meantime they. went to th,
Ryan isnily and told them the horribl,